Sick Sick Sick China babies die from contaminated milk powder

It makes my blood boil what some people will do to make money. After the contaminated cough mixture and 'bungs for licenses' scandals last year (the offending Govt Minister faced the firing squad), China is now reeling from a new revelation.

Manufacturers of baby milk powder have been cutting it with melamine. Rich in nitrogen, the melamine scores highly in tests for protein - milk powder cut with this chemical scores highly in protein tests therefore .... and thus it arrives on shop shelves.

Disgusting.

The problem's been bubbling away for months, but it took the deaths of 3 babies and the protracted illness of thousands of others before someone acted.

Today China arrested a dozen people involved in this sickening business. Hope they're shot slowly. And here's an example of more profiteering: mainland Chinese are flocking over to Hong Kong to buy powder produced in the West. They then return to the mainland and sell the stuff off making a massive profit. And the latest is that the powder's been exported to other developing countries. It's a crap world.

M

Summary of BBC news article:

China arrests 12 in milk scandal

Police in China have arrested 12 more people in the scandal over contaminated milk powder, which has killed three babies and sickened thousands. The new arrests bring the total number of people detained to 18, police in the north-eastern province of Hebei said.

Nationwide checks on milk powder are continuing, and police have confiscated more than 200kg (440lb) of melamine. The additive is blamed for causing severe renal problems and kidney stones in babies across the country.

Premier Wen Jiabao held a special cabinet meeting on Wednesday to address the baby milk crisis. The State Council, or cabinet, admitted that regulations had failed to improve food standards. "The Sanlu infant milk powder incident reflects chaos in the dairy products market and loopholes in supervision and administration which has not been vigorous," it said.

Parents are expressing anger at why Sanlu, the company first found to have sold contaminated milk, took so long to make the problem public. Tests have shown that 69 batches of formula from 22 companies contained the banned substance. Two of the companies involved have exported their products to Bangladesh, Yemen, Gabon, Burundi, and Burma, although it is not clear if contaminated batches are involved.